Just five days before the 50th anniversary of World War II's end, angry reactions came from South Korea and China, which both suffered at Japanese hands before and during the war.
Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama met with the minister, Yoshinobu Shimamura, given the education portfolio just two days ago, and said later, "It is extremely regrettable that there was a misunderstanding.''
Murayama and several previous prime ministers have apologized for Japan's wartime actions. But politicians have spent much time over the past year debating whether Japan's Parliament should mark the half-century anniversary by issuing an apology carrying the full weight of the government.
Murayama and liberal allies sought a strongly worded apology. Instead, lawmakers settled on a vaguely worded statement of remorse, saying that Japan was not exclusively at fault.
Shimamura, in remarks made Tuesday, repeated the theme of others besides Japan being responsible.
"Is war not the mutual use of aggression?'' Japanese news reports quoted him as saying. The national daily Asahi quoted him as recommending that "we all bear in mind our mistakes.''
South Korea's Foreign Ministry called the comments a "glossing over of Japan's aggression.'' It said the fact that Shimamura's ministry is in charge of educating the young about the war made his remarks particularly troubling.
"The correct understanding of history is indispensable to the establishment of forward-looking South Korea-Japan ties,'' the ministry said in a statement.
Shimamura's ministry screens all official Japanese history textbooks to promote "objectivity.'' But critics say it censors details of war crimes and portrays Japan as more of a victim than an aggressor.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Chen Jian also expressed outrage over the remarks, saying they lack "elementary historical knowledge.''
"The war launched by the Japanese militarists brought about great sufferings to the people of China and other Asian countries. This is a historic fact that brooks no denial,'' he said.
Shimamura called a hasty news conference Thursday to issue what he called a clarification of his comments.
"I believe it is very important to apologize [for wartime atrocities],'' he said. But he added that "self-reflection'' was more important than spoken apologies.
Murayama himself plans to make a statement Tuesday expressing war remorse, but a spokesman said it would be issued separately from the main war's-end anniversary commemoration.
An apology at the official ceremony likely would outrage politically powerful veterans groups and conservatives in Murayama's coalition.
Shimamura is not the first Japanese government minister to touch off a controversy with statements about the war.
Last August, Environment Minister Shin Sakurai was forced to step down after angering Asian nations by saying Japanese colonial rule had benefited them.
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